POLITICS

Tipton defends immigration record

Scott Tipton, R-Colo., gestures as answers a question during a town meeting Thursday night November 7, 2013 in the Pueblo Couty Commissioners chambers at the Pueblo County Courthouse in Pueblo, Colo. (Bryan Kelsen, The Pueblo Chieftain)

By peter roper
The pueblo chieftain

Published: November 8, 2013;Last modified: December 15, 2014 07:13PM

There’s been steady pressure this year on Rep. Scott Tipton and other House Republicans to agree to the Senate’s immigration plan that would give 12 million undocumented people a path to citizenship.

Tipton wouldn’t agree to it at his town hall meeting Thursday night, but told a young undocumented woman he wants U.S. law to treat her and others like her — young undocumented people who grew up in this country — with compassion.

Speaking to a crowd of about 40 people at the Pueblo County Courthouse, Tipton heard criticism of House Republicans but also defended his own stand on immigration and the new federal health care law.

The crowd had many Democrats but the questions and answers were civil, if pointed.

Advertisement

Teresa Trujillo, a local advocate for immigration reform, said undocumented workers would help the economy if allowed to legalize their status.

Tipton countered that 4.4 million foreign people who have applied for legal immigration to the U.S. are being ignored by the debate.

He said House Republicans want more U.S. border security, too.

“That wasn’t done when President Reagan tried to fix the problem with an amnesty,” he said.

Retired steelworker Al Becco charged that Congress wasn’t supporting U.S. manufacturing by letting China and other nations stop the export of U.S. goods through currency manipulation.

Tipton said his own legislation — a new law allowing hydropower projects on small agricultural ditches and another bill encouraging the removal of heavy forest undergrowth to prevent wildfires — both would provide more jobs.

Local resident Alvin Rivera said House Republicans appeared to be solely motivated by opposing President Barack Obama.

Tipton agreed he’d consistently opposed Obama’s political agenda over the years. He was among the House GOP members who voted dozens of times to repeal Obamacare.

“But the president’s health care plan is now the law of the land,” he told another questioner.

Tipton said he wanted to see changes in the health care plan, especially limits on lawsuits against doctors, hospitals and other providers through tort reform.

Tipton is meeting with the Pueblo Economic Development Corp. today and will take part in the Veterans Day Parade on Saturday.